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PRTG Manual: Update From Previous Versions

<%NUMBERING1%>.<%NUMBERING2%>.<%NUMBERING3%> PRTG Manual: Update From Previous Versions

If you have a previous PRTG version installed, there are several things you need to consider before you update to the newest PRTG version. See section Detailed System Requirements for all requirements.

We recommend that you always have a backup of your monitoring data and configuration. In most cases, both are maintained when you update. Anyway, we recommend a backup before you update. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: How do I back up all data and configuration of my PRTG installation?

In certain cases, antivirus software like Windows Defender interferes with the PRTG installer. This might cause high CPU load on the PRTG core server, which might prevent a successful update of PRTG. Temporarily disable Windows Defender and other antivirus software if you have issues when you install PRTG updates.

On PRTG hosted by Paessler instances, the update process is managed automatically, so you do not have to care about updates.

In this section:

Update to PRTG 19.2.50

Update to PRTG 19.2.50

If you run PRTG 19.2.50 or later, Packet Sniffer and Packet Sniffer (Custom) sensors use the Npcap library instead of the deprecated WinPcap library to monitor your traffic. With PRTG 19.2.50, PRTG also installs a loopback adapter as part of this Npcap library.

We recommend that you manually uninstall the Npcap loopback adapter as it might result in unexpected behavior of additional services that run on the remote probe systems:

Right-click the Windows Start menu and select Device Manager.
Click the > arrow next to Network adapters to open a list of installed network adapters.
Right-click Npcap Loopback Adapter and select Uninstall device.
Click Uninstall to start the uninstall process.

As of PRTG 19.x.51, the Npcap loopback adapter is no longer automatically installed.

For more information, see the Knowledge Base: I have issues with additional services after updating to PRTG 19.2.50. What can I do?

Update from PRTG 16.1.22 or later

If you run PRTG 16.1.22 or later, install the newest version on top of the previous version. Your configuration is kept. PRTG automatically updates remote probes as well. If you have configured PRTG as a cluster, you only have to install an update on any cluster node (master node or failover node). PRTG automatically deploys the new version to the cluster.

We recommend that you use the auto-update to install the newest version. Always have a proper backup of your monitoring data as well.

Important notes:

PRTG 19.3.52: PRTG does not run on the outdated operating system Windows XP anymore. Make sure that you install PRTG on an officially supported operating system.
PRTG 18.3.43: PRTG does not start and run on outdated Windows versions like Windows Server 2003 R2 anymore. Make sure that you install PRTG on an officially supported operating system.
PRTG 17.3.34: This version comes with a completely rewritten PRTG web interface. If you have customized the PRTG web interface with one of the dedicated files in a previous version, all your customizations are lost as soon as you install PRTG 17.3.34. You have to redo your changes to keep the customizations. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: How can I re-brand and customize the PRTG web interface using CSS and JavaScript?
PRTG 17.3.34: Sensors that require the .NET framework need version .NET 4.5 or later. For more information, see the Knowledge Base: Which .NET version does PRTG require?
PRTG 16.3.26: The Mobile Web GUI was removed from PRTG.
PRTG 16.2.25: Several sensors were removed from PRTG.

Update from PRTG 13.1.1 through 16.1.21

As of PRTG 16.1.22, PRTG is signed with renewed certificates. To seamlessly update to PRTG 16.1.22 or later, an intermediate update is required for the PRTG core server and all probes if you run a version previous to PRTG 16.1.21.1691/1692. If you auto-update from previous versions (lower than PRTG 16.1.21.1691/1692), PRTG automatically installs an intermediate version first. The intermediate version you receive via auto-update or from the Paessler support team is PRTG 16.1.21.1924. You have to perform an additional auto-update to install the newest version. PRTG notifies you with a ticket about this approach. Your configuration is kept.

We recommend that you use the auto-update to install the newest PRTG version. If you update manually with an installer downloaded from the Paessler online shop, the intermediate update is only necessary if you run a version previous to PRTG 16.1.21.1691/1692 with one or more remote probes or in a cluster. If you do not perform this intermediate update, you have to update your remote probes and cluster nodes manually. Contact the Paessler support team to get the installer for this version if you do not use the auto-update.

As of PRTG 14, Internet Explorer 9 is no longer officially supported for access to the PRTG web interface.
Also as of PRTG 14, PRTG core and probes no longer officially support Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (including SP1 and SP2).
As of PRTG 15, Internet Explorer 10 is no longer officially supported for access to the PRTG web interface.

Removed Sensors as of PRTG 16.2.25

We removed several sensors from PRTG 16.2.25. Sensors of these types that you still use in your PRTG installation stop monitoring and show a Down status as soon as you update to PRTG 16.2.25 or later. Most of the affected sensors were deprecated in PRTG 16.2.23 or before. You receive tickets from PRTG that inform you if your PRTG setup is affected.

The sensors concerned were used by very few users and/or created substantial load for both the Paessler support team and development team. We believe that the majority of users prefers that we focus on features that many customers use every day rather than spending our precious energy on niche issues.

For a list of all discontinued sensors, possible alternatives, and more details about this approach, see the Knowledge Base: Which sensor types will you remove from PRTG and what are the alternatives?

PRTG Web Interface Customizations as of PRTG 13.2.3

As of PRTG 13.2.3, the website subfolder of the PRTG program directory is not used anymore. This means that if you update from a version older than PRTG 13.2.3 to the newest version, all customizations to the PRTG web interface are disabled and you have to revise them. You might find a way for a similar customization that you can add to the files in the webroot subfolder that now contains the PRTG web interface files.

For more information, see the Knowledge Base: What about my web interface customizations as of PRTG 13.2.3?

Update from PRTG 9 and 12

We strongly recommend that you perform a clean install of the newest PRTG version instead of updating from PRTG 9 or 12.

If you use PRTG 9 or 12 now, your configuration is kept when you install the newest PRTG version in Standalone Mode or when you install a master node. But there are a few things you should consider.

We recommend that you always have a backup of your monitoring data.

Intermediate versions: You have to install two intermediate versions before you can update to the newest version.

If you run PRTG 12.4.5.3164/3165 or lower, install the intermediate version PRTG 12.4.7.3507 before you proceed.
If you have installed version 12.4.7.3507, install the intermediate version PRTG 16.1.21 before you proceed. Afterward, you can seamlessly update to the newest version. For details about this intermediate update, see section Update from PRTG Network Monitor 13.1.1 through 16.1.21.
We recommend that you use the auto-update feature. In this case, PRTG automatically installs the intermediate versions. Run the auto-update three times if you come from a version previous to PRTG 12.4.7.3507, run it twice if you come from a version previous to PRTG 16.1.21.1691/1692. If you do not use the auto-update, contact the Paessler support team to get the installers for these intermediate versions.

Discontinued sensors: Instances of the following sensors stop working as of PRTG V12 and must be replaced with their successor sensors.

VMware Host Server (SOAP)
VMware Virtual Machine (SOAP)
Xen Virtual Machine

If your configuration contains these sensors, they stop monitoring after you update to the newest version. We recommend that you pause them to keep their data. To continue monitoring, add the sensors anew (for example, via the auto-discovery).

Install .NET 4.0: We strongly recommend that you install .NET 4.0 on PRTG core server systems (and remote probe systems). Otherwise the following features do not work: VMware auto-discovery and monitoring, Citrix XenServer auto-discovery and monitoring, SIP Options Ping sensor, Windows Last Update sensor (deprecated as of PRTG 16.x.23).
Changed Geo Maps provider: When you update to the newest version, the provider for geographical maps automatically switches from Google Maps to MapQuest (using Open Street Map data).
Windows 2000 not supported: As of PRTG 7, we do not officially support Windows 2000 systems anymore. This means that you cannot install PRTG on systems that run Windows 2000, and you cannot officially monitor Windows 2000 systems (for example, via WMI). However, if you were able to successfully monitor your Windows 2000 systems with PRTG 9, this might actually not be possible anymore with the newest version.

We recommend that you have a look at the detailed system requirements before you update. Officially supported operating systems, browsers, and other requirements may have changed since PRTG 9.

Update from PRTG 7 or 8

We strongly recommend that you perform a clean install of the newest version instead of updating from PRTG 7 or 8.

If you use PRTG 7 or 8 now, you have to update PRTG to intermediate versions first to ensure all data is transferred correctly. You cannot update to PRTG 15 or later directly from PRTG 7 or 8.

We recommend that you first update to the newest PRTG 8 version.
From the newest PRTG 8 version, update to PRTG version 9.
From PRTG 9, update to both intermediate versions PRTG 12.4.7.3507 and 16.1.21.1691/1692, then to the newest PRTG version.

Contact the Paessler support team to obtain download links for these versions. Always keep a proper backup of your configuration and monitoring data.

Updating from PRTG 7 or 8 to Newest PRTG Version

Packet Sniffer (Content) sensors are not supported anymore. Sensors of this type automatically switch to Packet Sniffer (Header) sensors after the update. As a benefit, you can now also sniff IPv6 traffic.
Internet Explorer 8 is no longer supported for access to the PRTG web interface.
You might experience a slow Enterprise Console (deprecated; former 'Windows GUI') because different reasons.
When you install a failover node on top of a standalone PRTG 7, 8, 9, 12, or 13+ installation, the configuration cannot be kept and is written to a backup folder. Afterward, the new configuration is received from the master node. As all cluster nodes work with the same configuration, a failover node's old configuration and monitoring data can no longer be used. If you want to keep a configuration of PRTG 7, install the master node on top of the old installation and use other servers for the failover node installations.

Since PRTG 9, SNMP sensors use the IPv4 Outgoing IP set for the PRTG probe service (this setting was formerly ignored by those sensors, which used the auto setting instead). If you experience sensors that fail, check the setting in the probe settings.
If you (manually) configured the PRTG probe service or PRTG core server service to run under a different Windows user account (for example, for successful internet access through an ISA server firewall), apply the respective Windows user account for the PRTG probe service and/or PRTG core server service anew after you install the newest PRTG version.
For system requirements for the PRTG core server and probes, see section Detailed System Requirements.
If you use the default data path in your PRTG setup, it is changed automatically. Up to PRTG 8, all data was stored in a subfolder that reflected a PRTG version number (v7 or v8). As of PRTG 9, this subfolder is omitted, and data is stored directly in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Application data\Paessler\PRTG Network Monitor. During setup, all data is moved to the new directory. If you use a custom data path, it is not changed.
Up to PRTG 8, all data in the registry was stored in a subkey that reflected a PRTG version number (v7 or v8). As of PRTG 9, this subkey is omitted and registry data is stored directly under the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Paessler\PRTG Network Monitor (on 32-bit systems), respectively HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Paessler\PRTG Network Monitor (on 64-bit systems). During setup, all registry values are moved to the new key.

We strongly recommend that you see the Detailed System Requirements before you update to the newest version. Officially supported operating systems, browsers, and other requirements may have changed since PRTG 8.

Updating from PRTG 7 to Newest PRTG Version

Regarding custom sensors, the interpretation of returned values is handled more strictly as of PRTG 8. If you use custom sensors with PRTG 7, these may not work with the newest PRTG version if they do not fully apply to the API definition.

Update from Older PRTG Products

For all other predecessor products, a direct data import into the newest version is not possible.

If you use IPCheck 5 or PRTG Traffic Grapher 6, perform a clean installation of PRTG and set up your configuration anew. Use the auto-discovery to quickly configure monitoring of your entire network.

For more information, see section Quick Start Guide.

KNOWLEDGE BASE